Duress: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in legal or formal contexts to indicate someone has been forced to do something against their will.

• She signed the contract under duress.
• The confession was obtained under duress.

Refers to the act of persuading someone forcefully or with threats; it can be used in both legal and informal contexts. Often negative.

• The company was accused of coercion to suppress employee rights.
• He admitted to the crime but claimed that it was under coercion.

Commonly used in everyday situations to describe physical or emotional stress or influence.

• He felt the pressure to perform well in his exams.
• There is a lot of pressure to conform in high school.

Indicates a forceful impulse or strong urge that is difficult to resist. Not necessarily negative, but often suggests lack of voluntary control.

• She felt a compulsion to check her email every ten minutes.
• The rules were enforced with an extraordinary compulsion.